The American Civil War

Between 1861 and 1865, the clash of the greatest armies the Western hemisphere had ever seen turned small towns, little-known streams, and obscure meadows in the American countryside into names we will always remember. In those great battles, those streams ran red with blood-and the United States was truly born.

The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World

Look beyond the abstract dates and figures, kings and queens, and battles and wars that make up so many historical accounts. Over the course of 48 richly detailed lectures, Professor Garland covers the breadth and depth of human history from the perspective of the so-called ordinary people, from its earliest beginnings through the Middle Ages.

The Foundations of Western Civilization

What is Western Civilization? According to Professor Noble, it is "much more than human and political geography," encompassing myriad forms of political and institutional structures - from monarchies to participatory republics - and its own traditions of political discourse. It involves choices about who gets to participate in any given society and the ways in which societies have resolved the tension between individual self-interest and the common good.

An Economic History of the World since 1400

Most of us have a limited understanding of the powerful role economics has played in shaping human civilization. This makes economic history - the study of how civilizations structured their environments to provide food, shelter, and material goods - a vital lens through which to think about how we arrived at our present, globalized moment. Designed to fill a long-empty gap in how we think about modern history, these 48 lectures are a comprehensive journey through more than 600 years of economic history.

1066: The Year That Changed Everything

With this exciting and historically rich six-lecture course, experience for yourself the drama of this dynamic year in medieval history, centered on the landmark Norman Conquest. Taking you from the shores of Scandinavia and France to the battlefields of the English countryside, these lectures will plunge you into a world of fierce Viking warriors, powerful noble families, politically charged marriages, tense succession crises, epic military invasions, and much more.Your journey starts in the 10th and early 11th centuries, when power in England and Normandy was very much up for grabs-and when the small island nation was under continuous assault from Viking forces. Professor Paxton helps you gain a solid grasp of the complex political alliances and shifting relationships between figures such as Emma of Normandy, Cnut, and Edward the Confessor. She also recounts for you the two seminal battles that pitted England against the Scandinavians and the Normans: the Battle of Stamford Bridge and the Battle of Hastings. Throughout the lectures, Dr. Paxton opens your eyes to continued debates and controversies over this year and offers her own take on the Norman Conquest's enduring legacy and the fascinating results of this epic clash. By exploring the year 1066-what led up to it, what happened during that fateful year, and what changed as a result-you'll gain a sharper perspective and a greater understanding of everything that would come afterward.

The Irish Identity: Independence, History, and Literature

Many political and cultural events sent shock waves through the Irish world in the 19th and early 20th centuries as Ireland gradually shook off the shackles of British rule. Alongside a long and painful political process arose one of the greatest flourishings of literature in modern times - a spirited discourse among those who sought to shape their nation's future, finding the significance of their bloody present intimately entwined with their legendary past.

A History of England from the Tudors to the Stuarts

During the 229-year period from 1485 to 1714, England transformed itself from a minor feudal state into what has been called "the first modern society" and emerged as the wealthiest and most powerful nation in the world. Those years hold a huge and captivating story. The English survived repeated epidemics and famines, one failed invasion and two successful ones, two civil wars, a series of violent religious reformations and counter-reformations, and confrontations with two of the most powerful monarchs on earth, Louis XIV of France and Philip II of Spain.

Thinking Like an Economist: A Guide to Rational Decision Making

Economic forces are everywhere around you. But that doesn't mean you need to passively accept whatever outcome those forces might press upon you. Instead, with these 12 fast-moving and crystal clear lectures, you can learn how to use a small handful of basic nuts-and-bolts principles to turn those same forces to your own advantage.

The End of the Cold War: 1985-1991

The dismantling of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the spread of Perestroika throughout the former Soviet bloc was a sea change in world history. Here, acclaimed Russian historian Robert Service examines precisely how that change came about. Drawing on a vast and largely untapped range of sources, he builds a picture of the two men who spearheaded the breakthrough: Ronald Reagan, president of the United States; and Mikhail Gorbachev, last general secretary of the Soviet Union.

Writing Creative Nonfiction

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Plato's Republic

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The Secrets of Great Mystery and Suspense Fiction

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The Science of Energy: Resources and Power Explained

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Classical Mythology

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A Day's Read

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The Great Ideas of Philosophy, 2nd Edition

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No Excuses: Existentialism and the Meaning of Life

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Classics of Russian Literature

Russian literature famously probes the depths of the human soul, and in this series of 36 insightful lectures prepared by a frequently honored teacher legendary among educators in both the United States and Russia-you probe just as deeply into the extraordinary legacy that is Russian Literature itself.Professor Weil introduces you to masterpieces such as Tolstoy's War and Peace, Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, Pushkin's Eugene Onegin, Gogol's Dead Souls, Chekhov's The Seagull, Pasternak's Doctor Zhivago, and many other great novels, stories, plays, and poems.

Publisher's Summary

From the Oval Office to the streets of Moscow, world leaders and ordinary citizens alike share interest and concerns about Russia. Can democracy survive there? What does the future hold for the once expansive and still powerful Russian nation? Is Soviet Communism truly dead?

These are the kinds of questions diplomats struggle with every day. And now, through this series of 16 incisive lectures by an acclaimed scholar of Russian history, you can begin investigating them for yourself as you take a probing historical journey through the recent history and near future of a key world power. Whether your chief interest is Russian or world history, political theory, or international relations, you'll take away fresh knowledge and insight as Professor Hamburg examines the improbable origins of Communist rule in Russia, the ascent of the Red Star to its zenith, and its decline and apparent end in the wake of 1989's events.

Using new material from previously sealed Soviet archives and covering recent controversial findings by both Russian and Western scholars, he begins with the failures of the czarist regime and the horrors of the First World War, then takes you through the bloody era of Josef Stalin's purges and beyond to Mikhail Gorbachev's perestroika to offer you a thoroughgoing analysis of the Soviet experiment.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

good and informative lectures but it did seem to be in that awkward middle ground where a decent amount of knowledge was often assumed but then at other times left you wondering why more depth was not offered. It should have probably been about 10 lectures longer to be honest. the political analyses of pre-revolutionary Russia was probably most insightful moment.

What did you like most about The Rise and Fall of Soviet Communism: A History of 20th-Century Russia?

The saturation of useful information for either Degree qualifications, A-level and GCSE.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The abdication of the Tsar in March 1917.

Which character – as performed by Professor Gary Hamburg – was your favourite?

...

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It's educational.

Any additional comments?

May be a bit to much information for a GCSE student or even an A-level student which I am. I find some parts irrelevant for me or in other words an A-level student. Some of the grammar used may be a bit confusing for anyone under the age of 18 trying to gather knowledge of Russia from 1900-1991.

Would you try another book from The Great Courses and/or Professor Gary Hamburg?

I may pick other Great Courses but I will be more careful to see when the actual date that the lectures were taped. Bill Clinton was still president of the United States and Yeltsin was President of Russia when these lectures were taped. Professor Hamburg was given his predictions on what would happen in Russia after the fall of Communism. More than 14 years have gone by since they lecture were taped and much has happen. As a result, the last lecture was very out of date and gave no preceptive what Russia has actually become under Putin. The "release date" stated 2013 but this is obviously meaningless because it has no relation to when the lectures was actually taped.

What could The Great Courses have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Discussed the date that the lectures were given.

What character would you cut from The Rise and Fall of Soviet Communism: A History of 20th-Century Russia?

N/A

Any additional comments?

It does not appear that the professor actually tried to explain why the USSR fell. He randomly picked topics to include but skipped crucial events. He did not include Poland and East Germany's efforts and final success in breaking away from the USSR and the USSR's decision not to send in troops to stop them from breaking away as a prellude to the USSR republics also seeking to break with it. He did not even discuss the USSR's defeat in Afghanistan as a factor in the eventual breakup of the USSR. Not really a good effort.

4 of 5 people found this review helpful

Lance

Maryland, United States

13/11/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"Great introduction but leaves lots of questions"

I really enjoyed the professor and the course. It is a very historical overview of the forces that drove acceptance of Soviet communism, an overview of its decline, and some background behind where it may be headed.

Highly recommended as an introduction to this material.

Reasons why I dropped a star. I didn't get a sense as to what the people did, who the people were, who the people became as they progressed throughout what was about a 100 year window of Russian history. I get that Communism minimizes individual contributions and thus this is not necessarily noteworthy, but I would have liked to see a more systematic analysis of how the culture of the country changed as the years progressed. Another reason is the course seemed to stop somewhere in the 1990s. Ok, great but I feel like I need to read alot more about Yeltsin and Putin to understand where Russia is today and what its prospects are. The professor I think could have accommodated more discussion about the Russian people and culture but sometimes gets sidetracked on points that were interesting but somewhat academic. Great I know and get that he is a teacher but for an intro course, I'd rather be focused on some key themes and keep the the academic / pedantic stuff to a minimum.

Loved the course. Really liked the teacher. This is highly recommended for those looking for an introduction to the rise and fall of Soviet Communism. There may be better intros out there but this worked well for me.

6 of 8 people found this review helpful

John

18/02/16

Overall

Performance

Story

"One of the best of the Great Courses"

Thorough, exhaustive, and very analytical re Soviet history. My two degrees in History say: "Great"

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Matthew

05/05/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Introductory to Early Uprising"

It's a good primer for sure, wanting to know more about early communist uprising. This is a good start. I enjoyed it.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Michael Anthony Novak

Saint Leo University, Florida

25/09/16

Overall

Performance

Story

"Good, but a little incomplete"

Professor Hamburg's work is engaging, in conversation with the scholarship around him, and is a fine example of the historian's task. This latter is by virtue both of his willingness to offer insightful assessments where he can, and by being modest where information is lacking. There are two drawbacks. The lectures, recorded and published around 1997/1998, are now (September 2016) feeling a little dated in not continuing on to the Putin years, which are a continuation of the aftermath of the Soviet story. The other drawback is the feeling of disproportion in the series. Out of sixteen lectures, twelve are devoted to the period of the Revolution through the end of Stalin's reign in 1953. That leaves three lectures for the post-1953 Soviet Union, and one for the post-Soviet era, thus four lectures covering 43 years, after having had twelve lectures covering a comparable stretch of time. The Cold War is therefore treated hastily, more attention to internal Soviet life in the later period would be welcome, and details of the complex Soviet relationship to Europe are lacking. (For example, there is no mention of the Solidarity movement or the rise of John Paul II in Poland.) If the Teaching Company can give Dr. Hamburg the opportunity to add to and revise the latter part of these lectures, that would be an easy and welcome fix.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Andy

Westport, CT, United States

10/07/16

Overall

Performance

Story

"Informative overview, if a bit dated"

Overall, this is a great overview of the events and people that made up the Soviet Union's history. The professor is extremely knowledgeable-- he comes off as a true "Russologist"-- and clearly delineates the whole story.

If anything, it's worth noting that this audiobook appears to have been recorded in the late 90s, so about the last 25% of the course feels oddly abbreviated. This is no doubt due to the historical proximity which still existed to the Soviet Union's collapse when this was recorded. The professor does make some prescient observations about the "rebirth" of Russia and what the country might shape up to be in the subsequent years, which some listeners might find interesting.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Pavla Ticha

30/05/16

Overall

Performance

Story

"Very solid outline of Russian history"

It is a very nice outline for listeners with basic and intermideate knowledge of the communism regimes. The voice of the professor and his intonation is quite specific, but you will get used to it. Every lecture is very well built and it fits to the overall frame of the semminar. There were two things that disappointed me a bit-last lecture and a mistake concerning the Czechoslovakian president Beneš.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

CNV_bountyHunter

03/05/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Biased but good"

What made the experience of listening to The Rise and Fall of Soviet Communism: A History of 20th-Century Russia the most enjoyable?

I was expected an unbiased report on communism and Russia but what I got is a professor that makes jokes at communism and people laughing in the audience.

If it wasn't for slight biases it would have been better.

2 of 4 people found this review helpful

Verified Purchaser

New York, NY

26/03/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Very good overview with a human touch."

Well done. I wish I had listened to this prior to my visit to Russia.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Edwin Quintanilla

25/01/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"very informative, enthusiastic reader, bored voice"

this audiobook will deliver an astounding amount of information on the final days of imperial russia and a quarter of the audiobook is about Stalin's russia. It pales in comparison to the Fall and Rise of China Great Courses due to the readers voice which is easy to phase out and gets tiring to listen to at times.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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